In attempts to save as much money as possible on household expenses, I had decided to use my cellphone exclusively and drop my land line service.  I had used Vonage in the past, but didn’t want that recurring payment either.  In the first two weeks, I ran into a couple of problems with this strategy.

The first issue I encountered was poor signal reception – no bars, low bars, and dropped or missed calls. There were areas within my house that I dared not take my cellphone; these areas I came to call “signal-slayers.” The second problem was that I truly did not feel comfortable that my young children did not have a way to dial 911 should I drop dead in the backyard (or if some other emergency occurred). It was at this point that I determined that I had to have a backup home phone.

These are the requirements that I had for the new backup home phone service:

• The actual phone had to be a standard telephone (not a soft-phone or pc-based phone) that my children could easily operate.
• I did not want to have my computer on 24/7 in order to utilize the phone service.
• The phone service had to offer 911 (or E911 at the very least).
• The service had to be VERY affordable (the cheaper the better).

Based on these requirements, I investigated the following options…

VOIP Services like Vonage

Having used Vonage in the past, I felt the service worked well.  Though this service is cheaper than most standard phone lines, it still included taxes and fees that I found annoying.  I received a discount for paying annually, but I was still paying about $220 per year, and I wanted to pay less than that.  Vonage VOIP was not the right answer for me.

Other VOIP like Skype

Skype is more affordable no doubt, even with the $60 annual fee to have a dedicated phone number.  The problem, for me, was that the service would require my pc to be on at all times in order to make / receive calls (or a WIFI phone can be used, but that seemed too pricey for me).

Basic, Traditional Land-Line Service

I contacted ATT and the cheapest option they would offer me was $12/month + $7 tax ($19/month or $228/year for local service only – no long distance or local toll service included).  This option was clearly too expensive for the very limited service provided (and I hate paying all those bs taxes).

The Solution…

After reviewing my options, none really seemed to fit what I wanted.  I continued my search…  Eventually, I found a VOIP service called “Ooma.”  I had never heard of the service prior to stumbling upon they’re website.  Ooma has a business model that sets it apart from all the other VOIP services I found out there.  With Ooma, you pay only for the equipment; the service is free.

The one-time, upfront expense averages about $240.  This cost was comparable to all the other options that I had reviewed with one distinct difference – I never had to pay another dime for the service.  There are no monthly fees or access charges at all going forward.

I will continue in the near future with a review of the service after using it for a month.  I will also provide some information about Ooma’s features at that time.  Please check back soon!

If you are interested in learning about Buddhism, an invaluable resource for information can be found at BuddhaNet.net. I highly recommend many of the free ebooks on Buddhism, mindfulness, Zen, and more available in their ebook library. Regardless of your religious background, you can benefit from the vast amount of knowledge available there. Check it out…

In a prior post, I discussed some key divorce tips. One of the points I made throughout that post was the importance of maintaining a divorce diary or log of daily events. In this post, I have included a 100-page Microsoft Word diary template that has been specifically designed for record keeping during divorce (I’ve also included an Adobe Reader pdf version if you wish to print and hand write your entries). Below is an image of a sample entry:

The divorce diary is a vital record-keeping tool during divorce proceedings. You will be making your divorce lawyer’s job that much easier by record keeping. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve this template…

Click here for the Microsoft Word Divorce Diary Template (Zipped – .zip)

Click here for the Adobe Reader (pdf version)

Both files are hosted on a mediafire.com server (free file hosting). The files will download from that location.

Take care!

Yesterday, I opened the cabinet door beneath my kitchen sink to retrieve some dish soap. For the next 10 minutes I found myself on the kitchen floor organizing a pile of loose plastic grocery bags – hundreds of them.

I know you may feel like chastising me for even using the plastic bags at all. Why don’t I use the the new fabric reusable grocery bags that all the grocery stores are touting? I know they may be better for the environment, but honestly, those bags are plastic-gold to me. Odd yes, but true. I am admittedly in the midst of a deep, passionate love affair with the linear-low density polyethylene film bag. Here are some reasons why:

25 Brilliant Uses for Plastic Grocery Bags
Read this informative article to find out 25 ways you can recycle plastic grocery bags! They make a variety of things, from knee protectors to parachutes!

But, my shear joy for the dual-handle plastic grocery bag is not the true focus of this post… No, I must find a proper home for this revolutionary domestic resource!

I personally went with the “nifty” plastic grocery bag storage solution below and couldn’t be happier with it. No more cluttered grocery bag mess under my sink!

Nifty:

 Form and function… A proper home for my little bundles of joy!

Thrifty:

Not as flashy, but fully functional…

Super Thrifty:

Kinda’ ugly and involves some work, but hey, it does the job…

Make A Plastic Bag Storage Sack

Thanks to Chris Gardner (http://chrismgardner.com) for this budget bag storage option.

Many of these emails will get a quick once-over before I’ll copy a significant phrase and paste it into the Snopes search field. Nearly every time I do, the email I received is found in the their database. More often than not, the email mom sent me is a hoax written by some unknown goof and attributed to someone such as Andy Rooney. This is done in attempts to give the actual no-name, opinionated writer’s words some validity.

Many people procrastinate when it comes to estate planning or altogether ignore the fact that they will someday (hopefully far, far off in the future) die. I know you are probably very, very busy and do not have the time in your hectic schedule to work dying in, but it is something you will inevitably do someday. That being said, get organized so those you leave behind will not see you for the disorganized schlep that you are (no offense, really).

In a recent post, I discussed some basic steps to organize your personal information in the event you meet your too early demise. I indicated that I used an application that made the organization of my personal information very simple. That application is called eWallet, developed by Ilium Software (no I don’t work for them or get anything from them). In this post, I will walk you through how I used eWallet to organize my personal information (and ultimately make things much easier for those I will someday leave behind).

If my wallet contained this much stuff, I’d need a pile of napkins in my opposing pocket to sit comfortably (see George Costanza in this Seinfeld episode). Though I disagree with the name of the application, I love the way it works. With this application you can very easily organize a vast array of personal information. It’s more like an safe deposit box than a wallet.

These are the key reasons I used this program for organizing my personal, sensitive information:

1. Simplicity – Very easy to use…
2. Affordable – Less than $30
3. Adaptability – I was able to include images and files in my entries
4. Security – Due to the sensitive personal information it would hold

With this application, you can clearly and easily organize your information in a simple, structured hierarchy.

You can create as many categories and sub-categories as you would ever need. Below is a screen-shot of how I setup eWallet to store my personal information (minus some sensitive info – you can click on the images to enlarge)…

This is what a detailed entry looks like (below)…

Another key feature of the application that I found necessary, was the ability to store copies of important documents and images. This program can do that as well. In the image below, I attached a copy of my life insurance policy (not that anyone will need that information anytime soon I hope)…

Since you already know what information you should organize, now you know where to put it.

Please let me know if you have found another application that works better for you…

“As soon as you’re born you start dying… So you might as well have a good time.” Cake – Sheep Go To Heaven

It’s clear that it is an unavoidable, certain fact that we all die. I used to fear dying outright, but as I’ve grown older and now have a couple of children, that fear has changed. It’s a more practical fear now. Don’t get me wrong, the fear of dying is still there, though it’s not so much a fear of dying itself. These days I find myself being more afraid of leaving my young children behind. Am I prepared to die? Heavy.

Today I’ll discuss a few key points to consider regarding some simple preperations for the inevitable big sleep. When done right, you can help to ease a difficult time for your loved ones. When done wrong or not at all, your loved ones may wish to raise you from the dead so they can kill you. After all, there are some loose ends that will need to be addressed after you pass into the unknown. Some basic organization and planning can make things a whole lot easier for those you leave behind.

The following are three key points to address prior to meeting your demise:

1. Life Insurance – Be sure you have life insurance (and the necessary amount of coverage). There is ample information available out there regarding policy types and coverage. Don’t forget to take into consideration your loved one’s current and planned future residential requirements, college, expenses, etc.
2. Legal – Have a current and up to date Last Will and Testament that clearly outlines your wishes. Setup a Power of Attorney and any Trusts as necessary. Speak to a lawyer (I know – yuck). Many of these services are covered under employer-sponsored legal service plans (check your benefits and availability – you could save a lot of money doing this). Don’t forget to research if you need a living will. It is almost always a good idea to have a living will.
3. Organize – If you have all your information together, your loved-ones will just rave about how easy you made things for them (not that you’ll really care I guess). Really, look at your pile of bills and that messy file cabinet… If you have stuff scattered all over and it’s hard for you to find, what do you think it will be like for your loved ones when they are already grief-stricken? If you must work with paper, prepare a binder of all important documents including copies of:

• Your Last Will and Testament, Living Will, and other legal documents
• Loan information
• List of credititors with all contact information (credit cards, home loans, auto loans, etc.)
• List of household utility bills and contact information
• List of important contacts (lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc.)
• Banking and investments information (checking, savings, 401k, etc.)
• Key medical information (you and your children)
• Social Security cards (you and children)
• Birth Certificates (you and children)
• Family health insurance
• Letters for loved ones
• Passwords and account information (ATM pins, internet accounts, email, etc.)
• Any special instructions you might have (where to find your stack of dirty magazines to get rid of)

Seal the information in a large envelope and give it to a trusted friend or loved one. I gave my copies to my brother who is also the Executor of my Last Will and Testament. It may also be best to keep a copy of everything in a safe deposit box.

**NOTE** I have organized all of these and more electronically using a simple program. All of the information with electronic copies of the documents is clearly organized and placed on a $10 flash drive. I will discuss this program and how I used it in a post in the next week…

I have to admit that I procrastinated for quite some time prior to doing this. It was always there in the back of my mind, nagging away. I knew I needed to do this. Realistically, it didn’t take very much to do get this all done. For me, less that $250 and less than a month to do it all (and definately not working the whole time). There is a peace of mind that came with doing all this… I no longer have that nagging feeling and I have some comfort in knowing my kids will be cared for.

Death is something the vast majority of us hope to avoid for a long, long time. It took me a couple of bad car accidents before I really became determined to get this stuff done. You owe it to your loved ones to put them in the best possible position after you depart. It doesn’t take much work to get this together – get it done.

Click here for Part II – Where to Organize Your Personal Information

OmniSwami.com – Life, Family, Parenting, Opinions, Tips and more…

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

The following is a collection of 25 key divorce tips that I compiled after going through the situation first-hand. I found that good divorce advice for this particular situation was hard to find. If you are depending on divorce lawyers to give you the best advice in this situation, think again…

1.
Absolutely keep a daily diary or log (it is probably in your best interest to not let your spouse know you are doing this). I maintained mine online using Google Docs. This is your new friend – IT IS A MUST!!! DO NOT DROP THE BALL ON THIS ONE!!! I was told by my lawyer to jot down some notes on a calendar regarding my spouse’s comings and goings, discussions, etc. – this is the very least you should do – EVERYDAY!!! My log is easily over 200 pages single-spaced – I admit I may be a bit extreme, but in this case the more information you have the better. Record things like: discussions, significant events, witnesses to discussions and events, comings and goings (you and your spouse), times left and returned, alcohol and drug use, appointments, legal events, spouses car mileage, etc. Just the facts – when and if you need this information in the future, no one will care about your feelings. When writing, be as objective as you can (remember you are biased) – do not embellish or try to make you spouse look bad – it won’t help or work. Keep your log up to date, and organized. WRITE & RECORD INFORMATION EVERY DAY!!! DO IT!!!